Pseudocyst

The adventures and life of a Specialist Nurse in Upper GI and Bariatric surgery. If you then double and triple this by having a primary school age child AND being married to another Nurse then you have double the trouble….aehm I mean fun. Hobbies are playing chess, board games and being taxi for our son!!!

Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this blog are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Work life balance

  • A “Quiet” Week (Apparently)

    Disclaimer This blog occasionally references real-life events, hospital life, parenting logistics, junior tennis politics, and the general chaos of modern family scheduling. Any clinical reflections are written in a personal capacity and should not be interpreted as medical advice or official NHS policy. Patient details are anonymised and altered where necessary. Also, any resemblance between… Read more

  • Half Term: A Week of Rest, Relaxation and Structured Exhaustion

    Disclaimer This blog reflects personal experiences and opinions only. It does not represent the views of my employer, the NHS, Somerset LTA, Ninja Warrior Bristol, or the British weather (which clearly represents nobody). All clinical references are generic, all patient information is anonymised, and the concept of a “quiet week off” should be interpreted as… Read more

  • Martial Arts? In This Family? Surely You Mean Tennis…

    Disclaimer This blog reflects personal experiences of a busy NHS family navigating children’s sport, work schedules and general life logistics. No coaching advice is intended, no other children are being judged, and all technical interpretations of martial arts are written by someone whose primary expertise lies in Upper GI pathways and tournament car-park coffee. All… Read more

  • U9 Tennis, County Calculus & Coffee: Blackbrook, 9am

    Disclaimer All observations are subjective, occasionally informed by anonymous but reliable courtside sources, and heavily influenced by coffee. No children were psychologically analysed beyond what is standard for junior tennis parents. This morning, Taunton Blackbrook Sports Centre hosted a Grade 4 U9 tennis tournament. Somewhat ominously timed, an email from the Somerset LTA had landed… Read more

  • Another Week in the NHS: Snot, Surge Capacity, and a Surprise Email

    Disclaimer This blog reflects personal views from an Upper GI clinician and parent, written while mildly hypoxic, heavily congested, and fuelled by Lemsip. No patients were harmed, no discharge summaries were intentionally delayed, and any opinions expressed are my own — not those of the Trust, the NHS, the LTA, or whoever currently has my… Read more

  • Annual Leave, Strikes, and the Joy of a Too Good To Go Bag

    Disclaimer: These are my personal reflections and observations, not those of my employer, the Upper GI team, or the NHS at large. No patients were harmed in the making of this blog — although several colleagues may have been mildly traumatized by my coffee consumption levels. So: I’m officially on annual leave this week —… Read more

  • A Well-Earned Easter Break: A Moment to Recharge for Our Busy Family

    After weeks of juggling full-time work at the NHS, the school run, and endless responsibilities, our family is finally enjoying a much-needed Easter break. It’s a time for rest, relaxation, and a well-earned pause from the chaos that has become our daily routine. For me, as a full-time NHS worker, the past few months have… Read more